Various types of computer backup systems have been proposed. However they do not have sufficient redundancy therein.
The backup navigation system of the present invention is a failure resistant navigation system for a vehicle. The backup navigation system includes a multiple number of navigation subsystems and at least one computer. The computer has a multiple number of computer processors. Each processor processes information from a different navigation subsystem. The computer sends processed navigation information to the vehicle. The backup navigation system is failure resistant since it has navigation subsystem redundancy and computer processor redundancy therein.
The present invention contemplates a multiple number of navigation subsystems and a multiple number of computer processors, known as a set of computer processors, in a computer. One of the computer processors of the set of computer processors processes navigation information from each navigation subsystem. The computer sends processed navigation information to a vehicle. Each processor of the set of processors has a computer program therein. All of the computer programs are substantially the same.
The invention further contemplates the use of a multiple number of computers, each computer having a multiple number of computer processors therein. Each computer would have a sufficient number of computer processors, in order to process navigation information from the various navigation subsystems. Each computer would send processed navigation information to the vehicle.
There is both navigation subsystem redundancy and computer processor redundancy in the backup navigation system. Navigation subsystem redundancy is used so that should one navigation subsystem fail, the other navigation subsystem will supply navigation information to a computer. Computer processor redundancy is used so that should one computer processor in a computer fail, another computer processor in the computer will process navigation information from a navigation subsystem.
The invention also contemplates automatic switching within a terminal unit. The output of each computer is sent into the terminal unit. The switching is between outputs of the computers. If one of the computer goes down, information from another computer is automatically switched to and used.
There may be several terminal units, each of which accepts the several computer outputs. One such terminal unit is a central navigation computer unit and another terminal unit is a navigation interface buffer unit. The central navigation computer unit would have automatic switching between and among the computer outputs going to it. The switching between and among computers going to the navigation interface buffer unit is contemplating as being manual switching.